Beauty in everything

The beauty of Trifari jewelry

The beauty of Trifari jewelry. Great Trifari water bird on lily pond brooch pin. Crane pave set with rhinestones plus one large green rhinestone

The beauty of Trifari jewelry will be appreciated for generations. The Trifari jewelry brand was started by 20-year-old Italian immigrant Gustavo Trifari, who arrived at Ellis Island from Napoli in 1904. Originally their company had name “Trifari and Trifari”, as it was founded by Gustavo Trifari and his uncle, in 1910. Then his uncle left the company, and Gustavo renamed it to “Trifari”. Later such talented jewelers joined it. They were Leo Krussman (in 1917), and Carl Fishel (1925). The company changed its name to “Trifari, Krussman and Fishel” with the logo “kTf” (The capital letter “T” in the center reminded who was the founder and the main figure in the company). Trifari Jewelry pieces from this era are extremely rare. The real success came to the company after 1930, when Trifari had hired Alfred Philippe, a head designer. Alfred Philippe was an experienced jewelry designer, who worked for such firms as Cartier and Van Cleef and Arples. Designs he created using hand-set stones won such acclaim that the partners become known as The Rhinestone Kings.

The beauty of Trifari jewelry. Camel brooch

Costume jewelry collectors and scholars have long been entranced by the fabulous designs that Alfred Philippe created for Trifari. Fans of his designs may have imagined that the man matched his creations in elegance and style, in the mode of Yves Montand, for example. Philippe had come to Trifari from the world of fine jewelry, and brought this heightened sensibility to his costume jewelry designs.

Trifari jewelry

Trifari design credit should be given to the other talented designers – Jean Paris, Andre Boeuf, Diane Love who worked under Alfred Philippe. Alfred Philippe worked at “Trifari” (in 1940’s the company had this name again) for more than 30 years, until his retirement in 1968. Vintage Jewelry Designs he created have the style and glamour of fine jewelry and were very popular. In the 1960s Trifari offered bold, exotic shapes and gems, oversize baubles, and intricate, ethnic-inspired designs just what that customer wanted. At that time “Trifari” was run by Gustavo Trifari and his sons.

In 1975 the company was bought by Hallmark Jewelry Company. In 1988 the company was sold to Crystal Brands, and in 1994 – to Chase Capital Partners and Lattice Holding Company, a division of the Monet Group. In 2000 the Monet Group was purchased by fashion company Liz Claiborne, which brought an end to the high quality signed “Trifari jewelry”. Liz Claiborne Inc. continues to produce Trifari jewelry overseas, but these are lesser quality unsigned pieces comparing to the original brand, the world’s most trusted and recognizable name in collectible costume jewellery.

Trifari jewelry has many points of distinction, but perhaps the most noteworthy is its exceptional display of color. Stones, made from the highest quality Austrian lead crystal, sparkle with clarity and brilliance. To create enamel-look colors and accents, the designers hand-applied epoxy to prevent chipping, cracking, or peeling like cheaper brands.